Reciprocating engine



May 19, 1925.

4. M KECHNIE RECIPROCATING ENGINE Filed July '7, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 1 9, 1925.

J; MQKECHNIE RECIPROCATING ENGINE Filed Jqly v, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 19, 1925.

5 UNITED STATES JAMESMCKECHNIE, or BARROW-IN-FURNESS, ENGLAND. AssmNoa To vroxnns LIMITED, or wnsrmmsrnmronnon, ENGLAND, ABRITISI-I. COMPANY. V

RECIPROCATING ENGINE.

' Application filed July 7, 1922. Serial No. 573,438.

To all whom itmay concewt: Be it known that I, JAMEs McKncrINin, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Naval Construction Vorks, Barrow-in-Furness, in the. county of Lancaster, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Re ciprocating Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This'invention relates to reciprocating engines, such as internal combustion or steam engines, of the type employinga pair of cylinders each with a pairof oppositely act.- ing pistonshaving a 'common'working space, thepistons of the two cylinders being cross connected and driving a common crank shaft.

According to this invention the oppositely situated pistons ofthe two cylinders are.

cross connected by a pair of diagonal links and the two pistons at one end only of the engine are connected to the opposite ends of a rocking lever. The crank shaft is driven by a connecting rod from one of the cross or diagonal links connecting the pistons, the connecting rod being attached to the link at about the middle of the latter.

' In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, the same will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 1s a sectlonal elevation withparts gine embodying this invention,

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation at righ angles to Figure 1; and

Figures 4:, 5 and 6 show constructional modifications of the engine.

All the figures are diagrammatic and show only such elements of the engine as are required to illustrate the invention.

A, A are the cylinders. B is the engine framing. C, C are the pistons, four of which are employed, one pair C, C being provided in eachcylinder A. D is thedriving diagonal link made in twinform for balance and symmetry and connecting the upper piston C in one cylinder with the lower piston C in the secondjcylinder. E is the second connecting diagonal link, also in two members crossing the linkmember D at the outside, as shown in Figure '3, and connecting the remaining two pistons C, C together. F is the crank shaft driven through the connecting rod G from the driving link D.' H is the rocking lever connecting together pistons C or C at the same end of the cylinders.

Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the link members and 'E are rigidly secured a\ their ends to heads. or brackets c, c on the pistons C, C the drivinglink D lying in side the connecting link memb.ers E and carrying the connecting rod pin (Z which secures the two link members D together at the middle and receives the upper end of the connecting rod. The heads or brackets c. of the upper cylinders C carry pins 0 to which are attached the short links it connecting the pistons C to the opposite ends of the lever H. The links are secured on the lever pins 7L1 and the lever rocks upon the trunnion pin 72, carried in the bearing 5 in the top castingof the engine frame B. The diagonal links D and E travel in straight paths as they are directly connected to the ends of the pistons, but to take the side thrusts due to the drive the connecting rod pin may be provided with the crosshead d sliding between vertical guides forming part of the engine frame and comprising in the arrangement shown a set of steel bars of rectangular section passing from the top casting carrying the rocking lever to the lower part of the frame. The pistons during the outward portion of the strokes are guided in the cylinder extensions A deeply slotted at a to allow of the passage of the heads or brackets 0, c and the associated pins, butthe greater part of the side thrust may be taken by the guides b Instead of connecting the pistons to the lever H bylinks h the connection may be o the pin and slot type shown in Figure 4, in which the lever pink is connected to a sliding block it sliding in a transverse slot 0* in the piston head 0 which is guided by means of the guides b on theupper part of the engine frame B, the inner face of the head 0 sliding upon the guides'b In the modification shown in Figure 5 the rocking lever H is placed at the bottom of the engine immediately above the crank shaft, the pistons C to which the lever is at- 1,538,342 PATENT]. o FFICE} f 1 driving link D is not connected direct to the piston head or bracket 0 but is attached to the pin of the lever H so that the end of the link moves in a small arc, the connection to the piston being through the lever link h. To allow for the slight angular movement of the upper part of the link D it is made in two arms jointed at the connecting rod pin d, the connecting rod crosshead (Z taking the side thrusts due to the crank shaft drive.

\Vith a construction according to this invention a very compact and Well balanced engine is obtained, in which the secondary or side stresses are reduced to a minimum, the heavy driving and connecting members moving as nearly as possible in a straight path, such side stresses as are due to the drive through the connecting rod being taken by the frame of the engine at a point where rigid support is readily provided.

Vhat I claim and desire to secure for Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a reciprocating engine, a pair of parallel cylinders, a pair of oppositely acting pistons in each cylinder, a rocking lever at one end only of the cylinders, connected to the two pistons at that end, a pair of diagonal links cross connecting the oppositely situated pistons of the two cylinders, a crank shaft and a connecting rod from one of the said diagonal links to the crank shaft.

2. In a reciprocating engine, a pair of parallel cylinders, a pair of oppositely acting pistons in each cylinder, a rocking lever at one end only of the cylinders, shortlinks connecting the ends of the said lever to the two adjacent pistons, a pair of diagonal links cross connecting the oppositely situated pistons or" the two cylinders and rigidly connected to the pistons at the end opposite to the rocking lever, a crank shaft and a connecting rod from one of the said diagonal links to the crank shaft.

8. In an engine as claimed in claim 1, a crosshead on the inner end of the connecting rod and fixed guides for the crosshead.

JAMES MCKECHNIE. 

